Cauliflower Pancakes with Lemon Tahini Sauce

October 19, 2016

3 minute read

One of my favorite bi-weekly meals is a plate of cauliflower pancakes. I pack them with whatever herbs I have on hand and top it with a big side of avocado. It isn’t anything all that fancy but all of the fresh, simple ingredients definitely make me feel like I’ve taken a trip to a farm somewhere… perhaps one up in Northern California where they pluck everything straight from the garden, pull little freshly-hatched eggs from beneath a plump hen, and walk a few feet back into their kitchen to create something lovely.

You don’t need a wealth of ingredients and time to create a lovely meal for yourself. Some of my most favorite dinners that I’ve shared with friends are the ones that came together quickly so that I could spend time at my table chatting, eating, and engaging. I think that’s the point of sharing a meal with someone you love; not to impress them or overwork yourself in the kitchen but to truly give your attention to the person sitting across from you. That is what enriches my life, that and good food.

This meal does just that. The pancakes can be made ahead of time and reheated in the oven, and the tahini sauce can keep in your fridge for up to one week. Just pull everything out and put it together as you see fit.

Cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables. As evidenced by the pinterest community, it is also a lot of people’s favorite vegetable. It’s incredibly versatile and like the rest of the cruciferous veggies, it contains compounds that aid our bodies in cancer prevention. Full of vitamin C and very low in calories, it’s an excellent addition to a light dinner or lunch. These pancakes always make me feel full and like I’ve done something nice for myself.

Cauliflower Pancakes with Lemon Tahini Sauce

For the pancakes:

1 large head of cauliflower, trimmed and washed

3 eggs

1/4 c milled flaxseed

a few sprigs of thyme and basil

1 clove of garlic, minced

salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with foil, then a layer of coconut oil. Distribute an even layer of cauliflower florets on sheet and bake until a bit browned, approximately 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Using a cheesecloth or kitchen towel, wring out as much moisture as you can from the florets. Transfer cooled florets to a blender or bowl of a high-speed mixer along with the rest of the ingredients and blend until thoroughly combined. Don’t puree the cauliflower, but make sure there aren’t huge clumps.

Respray the baking sheet with coconut oil and with a large spoon, create six small rounds of the mixture on the cookie sheet. Make sure the pancakes don’t spread into one another and that they are of relatively even size and height. Flatten with the back of a spoon. Place back in the oven and cook on each side for 15-20 minutes, flipping pancakes over with a spatula halfway through. In the meantime, make the tahini sauce. Pancakes can be kept in an airtight container for a few days.

Lemon Tahini Sauce:

1/4 c tahini

juice of one lemon

2 tbsp olive oil

a sprinkle of paprkia

salt and pepper to taste

a little water, if needed for a thinner consistency

To top:

half of an avocado, sliced

a few handfuls of arugula

a couple pinches of hempseeds

a dash of pepper

In a small mixing bowl, combine all sauce ingredients with a spoon or spatula until thoroughly combined. If the sauce is too thick, add a bit of water until you reach desired consistency. Top onto pancakes with avocado, arugula, hempseeds, and pepper. If you have leftover sauce, keep it in an airtight container for up to one week. Enjoy!